The present invention relates to footwear accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a removable lace cover strap to be placed about the instep of laced footwear to prevent the laces from untying and for decorative purposes.
Athletic shoes commonly employ laces which are drawn tight and tied to provide a relatively tight-fitting shoe. Unfortunately, the generally long, thick laces employed in athletic shoes have a common problem of coming untied during athletic activity. Untied laces lead almost immediately to reduced athletic performance and can be very disadvantageous if the reduced performance occurs at an inopportune time during a game. The untying of laces is especially a problem for young children and in certain sports such as soccer.
Thus, it would be highly desirable if an accessory could be provided which can be easily worn to prevent laces from coming untied. It would be even more desirable if the accessory were decorative and could carry a team logo or the like. In accordance with the present invention, a removable instep strap is provided which can be used as a lace cover strap in conjunction with footwear and particularly with athletic footwear. The removable instep strap has an appropriate length and width and is provided with hook and loop fasteners at opposite ends so that the strap can be worn or removed as desired and can be adjusted. The instep strap has an elastic portion to allow adjustment to foot position during play and, preferably, has an inelastic portion over the laces to minimize the untying thereof.
Further understanding of the present invention can be had from the following description and accompanying drawing.